Bayahibe in southeastern La Romana province is the first of two pilot sites
in the Caribbean (the other is located in Jamaica) to be tested for the
prestigious Blue Flag labeling in the region. On Monday 10 March members of
the National Hotel & Restaurant Association (Asonahores) and various
governmental and non-governmental authorities met with representatives from
the Foundation for Environmental Education, the sponsor of the eco-label
program called ?Blue Flag?. The Blue Flag Campaign is synonymous to clean,
safe and well-managed beaches and marinas. The program was originally
European-based but has now spread to four continents.
The project brings together local authorities, tourism boards and resortadministrations to coordinate efforts to provide and promote clean, safe and
environmentally-friendly tourist destinations.
?In Europe the Blue Flag designation has a high recognition factor,? said
Finn Bolding Thomsen, International Blue Flag Coordinator. ?We are seeing
tourists and tour operators requesting lists of Blue Flag approved
destinations for use in vacation planning.?
The idea is that if the pilot site in Bayahibe is awarded Blue Flag status,
this will lay the foundation for other destinations in DR to begin the
process for approval as well. Click here for more details